25

Apr

2016

4.2 The Power of a Positive Vision

Hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl in 2009

and

The Boston Marathon Bombing and the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2013?

In 2009, New Orleans was just beginning to rebound from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The pride of the city’s comeback seemed to ride with the success of the New Orleans Saints football team. You could feel the team’s commitment to something bigger than the team. They felt a deep responsibility to inspire their city to get back up. They talked about what it meant to help so many New Orleanians feel proud of their city once again. The New Orleans Saints did not just win the Super Bowl XLIV that year – they had their most successful season ever.

Could their commitment to a vision for a better future for their community have collectively driven them to unusual success?

The Boston Marathon bombings in the Spring of 2013 devastated another proud city. The Boston Red Sox baseball team wore “B Strong” patches on their uniforms, grew beards all season, and hung a jersey in their dugout for all games saying “Boston Strong 617” in a sign of unity with their hurting city. The Red Sox went from last place in their conference in 2012 to the World Series Champions in 2013.

Could their commitment to a vision for a better future for their community have collectively driven them to unusual success?

The Power of a Positive Vision

The ability to accomplish or overcome what seemed to be insurmountable is a compelling testimony for the power of the mind. The power of the mind is especially powerful when collective minds see the same vision. Our ability to paint pictures that challenge current standards with a vividness and clarity of what could be… enables transformational change.

The desired picture must possess deep meaning and have clarity we can envision instinctively. If this compelling vision is shared with others who feel deep emotion about what can be, then we have a shared Vision that will become reality faster, and hurdles we see today dissolve. We emotionally experience success in our minds, long before the journey to the destination is known. The clearer the picture, the more real the destination, and the less distracted we become by the inevitable hurdles. Our mind has been wired for successful accomplishment before we make a physical move.

“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.” – James Allen, philosopher and author of As Man Thinketh

The Principles of Positive Visioning

Our blog post 1.1 The Power of Positive Visioning described this first Principle of Humankind from the Foundation of Winning in more detail. In summary:

It is not about the Path

When the focus of our destination is crystal clear, it is easier to take new routes to the destination which can make the journey much easier. The route we take today is the best one for our clear destination; it’s not about how we got there in the past. The old route was the best we knew yesterday, but today we have new information and a better route is clear.

See 360 degrees for Greater Clarity

The vision we see in our minds is through a lens that has been individually sculpted by our unique experiences, but may be missing some perspective. We must engage others who see the world differently from us to form a complete picture based on multiple perspectives —360 degrees worth—for best decision making.

Your Heart and “Luck”

A clear Vision that connects with our heart puts our energy to achieve on steroids! We are on fire to travel the distance required. The energy that comes from leading with our heart is contagious, and draws others to help us on our path. What feels like luck is more often a function of our brain’s radar, the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which filters data and connects the dots that help our desired picture become a reality. The more vivid and meaningful the picture, the greater sensitivity of our filter. The RAS activation expedites the journey, making it quicker and more natural.

Leadership Challenge Questions

As a leader, ask yourself:

Are we clear where we want to go—do we have a Vision—before we put energy into a Strategic Plan?

Do I have a compelling Vision for my legacy? How often do I think about Stage IV- Legacy Fulfillment?

Do we have a Shared Vision for our Team, such that we are open to better paths personally and for the team?

How deeply meaningful is our Shared Vision? How passionate is each of our team members about leaving a Stage IV Fulfillment Legacy?

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” -Robert Browning